1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to devices and methods such as a semiconductor device formed by dividing a semiconductor element area formed on a substrate and a manufacturing method of the semiconductor device. This invention more particularly relates to a semiconductor device separated from another semiconductor device under the use of etching technology, a manufacturing method of the semiconductor device, a manufacturing equipment of the semiconductor device, a light emitting diode head, and an image forming apparatus.
2. Description of Related Art
There has been conventionally known a dicing method for separating multiple semiconductor devices formed on a semiconductor wafer into individual semiconductor devices (chips). In the dicing method, the wafer is cut by the dicing blade which adversely impacts the wafer, and such an impact is likely to chip end portions of the semiconductor device, namely, to cause chipping. In order to prevent such chipping, an area wider than a width actually being cut is reserved as a cutting area. Japanese Patent Application Publication No. H08-32110 discloses such method for dicing LED array chips used for an exposure device (LED head) of an image forming apparatus making use of an electrophotographic technology such as, e.g., a printer.
There exists a problem that the above-mentioned dicing method requires a relatively large area between semiconductor devices to adversely limit the number of semiconductor devices made from a single semiconductor wafer.
This invention is made to solve such problems, and it is an object to provide a semiconductor device and a manufacturing method of the semiconductor device that can produce more semiconductor devices from a single wafer such as, e.g., a semiconductor wafer while obviating damages like those caused by the dicing process.